This invention relates to a system for storing selected electronic contact information in an electronic address book database.
Electronic address book software programs have become popular tools for allowing people to keep track of information about contacts. Electronic address book programs may be a stand-alone product, or part of a computer implemented personal information manager or other program. Electronic address book programs may be implemented, for example, on specially designed portable electronic devices, notebook computers, lap-top computers, stand-alone personal computer systems, network terminals, or other electronic devices.
Current electronic address book programs generally use one or more databases to store records for various contacts. Information about each contact may then be stored in a record for that contact within one or more databases. Each record may include various fields of information such as work and home addresses, phone numbers, facsimile numbers, electronic mail addresses, and web site addresses, as well as other information about that contact. An interface program may be provided to allow a user to view, modify and create records of the address book database.
In at least some existing systems, when a user receives new contact information and desires to enter that information into an electronic address book, the user must open the electronic address book interface program, manually enter the contact information, and store that record in a database for the electronic address book.
In at least some cases, the new contact information may be available to the user in electronic format. For example, a user may receive contact information via electronic mail, through an internet web browser or in some other electronic format. Current systems nonetheless require the user to either type information into appropriate fields through the electronic address book interface program or perform multiple cut and paste operations to select, cut and paste various portions of the electronic contact information into appropriate fields within the record of the electronic address book database. The multiple cut and paste operations are time-consuming and a user may be required to cut from and paste to numerous fields.
Additionally, users may not have the electronic address book program open at all times in an effort to conserve operating system resources. Nonetheless, current systems require the user to open the electronic address book interface program, wait for the program to be opened, and then create or modify a record through the interface program. The electronic address book interface program stores accesses a database to create and store the record. Other drawbacks also exist with current systems.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to overcome these and other drawbacks of current electronic address book systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, method, and computer readable medium for facilitating entry of contact information into an electronic address book.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, method, and computer readable medium for causing a computer to store selected electronic contact information into a record of an electronic address book program database.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, method, and computer readable medium for causing a computer to enable a user to select electronic contact information and store that information in an electronic address book in response to an execution.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, method, and computer readable medium for causing a computer to store contact information into an electronic address book database without requiring that the electronic address book interface program be opened.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, method, and computer readable medium for causing a computer to store contact information in an electronic address book database directly from selected electronic contact information.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, method, and computer readable medium for causing a computer to store contact information from electronic contact information without requiring that the contact information be retyped into the system or multiple cut and past operations be performed.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished according to various embodiments of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system, method, and computer readable medium containing computer readable instructions for causing a computer to parse selected electronic contact information into fields of a record for storage in a contact database for use by an electronic address book programs are provided. The system may comprise a selection module that permits a user to select electronic contact information presented on a computer screen by a user application program such as by highlighting electronic information, for example. Once electronic contact information has been selected, the user may initiate parsing of the selected electronic contact information into fields of a record for storage in the contact database such as by selecting a key or mouse button, for example.
Upon receipt of the initiation operation by the user, a menu system may be presented to enable the user to select information about the destination for the selected electronic information, such as the database name, for example. Once the destination has been determined, a parsing module operates and begins parsing the electronic contact information. Various portions of that selected electronic contact information may be assigned to fields of a record in a format for storage in the contact database. After the fields of the record have been parsed, a verification screen may be presented to the user. The verification screen may display the field assignments and enable the user to verify, modify or cancel the request.
If the user verifies and accepts the assignments, the assigned information is then stored through a storage module that creates and stores a record from the fields assigned by the parsing module in the contact database. The storage module may be separate from the electronic address book interface program so that the contact database may be opened and a record stored therein without requiring that the electronic address book interface program be opened by the system.
Other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from reviewing the detailed description and drawings of the present invention set forth herein.